Regula
It is no accident that the start to the Sigilian Year is sponsored by the Fraternity of Order. Despite their claims of following the impartiality of Law, the Guvners assigned themselves Regula only because they were the ones to create the calendar in the first place. While not denying this, the faction instead claims that it is also shouldering a lot of responsibility because the first month of the year has to redress the problems left over from the previous year. When the other factions learned that the Xaositects had the final month of the year, they shut their bone boxes pretty quickly and have since learned to live with the fact that the Fraternity of Order gets to be the start of both the year and the Philosophical Spring. The Fraternity of Order takes its sponsorship of Regula very seriously. During this month, the faction puts extra effort into all of its activities. Researchers work longer hours on their projects; scribes work faster to try and produce more copies of the faction's books and records; judges spend more time reviewing their cases as well as attempting to process more of them. Regula is often used as a time for Guvners to finally leave the security of their headquarters and go planewalking in order to verify some of their studies "in the field". In addition to increasing and improving their own stores of knowledge, the Fraternity of Order also attempts to share what they know with the rest of the Cage. Throughout the course of the month, the Guvners hold a series of lectures which are open to everyone and free of charge. The faction attempts to ensure that the subjects are of general interest and that the speakers have minimized their use of obtuse language. With such an obvious focus on Law, Regula is one of the safer months in which to visit the Cage. Folks tend to be calmer and more rational in their dealings with others, and a canny basher can use logic to talk his way out of most conflicts that arise. Overall, Sigil and its residents take on a more ordered approach to living. Certainly, a sod's still able to act with as much chaos as he wants, for chance and surprises still exist. But these things are much more predictable now than at any other time of the year. During Regula, the various Laws of statistics and probabilities actually work. (A fact which annoys the city's various gaming houses to no end.) Thus, rather than trying to prepare for the unexpected, it's easier to go with the results dictated by Laws. This atmosphere lets a fore-thinking cutter adequately plan ahead and prepare for setbacks. However, this general aura of law and predictability does have a number of drawbacks - most of which only apply to knights of the cross trade. This is because the first month of the year influences people to be more accepting of doing things in the 'proper' manner and avoiding short cuts; they tend to ensure that everything is ready before going ahead with any undertaking. Contracts get more involved, and legally binding. This attitude makes it very hard to let to your jink speed things along or get any one to invest in risky undertakings. Also, with increased zeal the Fraternity of Order displays this month, the progress of cases in the City Courts speeds up, making it nearly impossibly for a rogue to escape sentence through the use of sly tricks or delaying tactics. And if all of that wasn't harsh enough, the Harmonium starts a slow build-up of its forces, both to support the respect for the Law that Regula fosters as well as to prepare for the following month, Accordant. Overall, it's best not to break the Law during this month - or the rest of the Philosophical_Spring#Philosophical Year for that matter. Events Factol's Day of Regula, even though it is referred to as The Day of Yawning by the rest of the Cage, is one of the most anticipated holidays in Sigil. Besides being the start of a new year and a cause for optimism and hope, it also provides the much awaited respite from the general chaos of last year's Capricious (the final month of the Philosophical Year). While most of the Cage is taking a much needed rest, the Fraternity of Order is very busy. The factioneers fill their morning with a rousing lecture from the Factol; the subject is usually a lengthy dissertation on the most significant Axiom discovered the previous year, followed by suggestions for the new year's focus of study. After this lawful and orderly rally, the Guvners proceed to hold various rituals and ceremonies in which various factioneers are promoted or otherwise honored for their work in discovering the laws of the multiverse. These pompous proceedings usually last far into the evening. Only after all of the business of the day has been properly taken care of do the members of the Fraternity finally engage in the time-honored tradition of celebrating - by getting orderly, predictably, and royally, drunk. The public events of Regula tend to be stifled by the atmosphere of Law this month fosters. Part of this is due to the fact that the tanar'ri and other chaotic beings essentially flee the Cage for the duration of this month and the rest of the Philosophical_Spring#Philosophical Year. And the corresponding influx of baatezu isn't much cause for celebration either. Thus, most of the special events during this month are confined to the Fraternity of Order or similar, lawfully aligned groups. The Guvners sponsor at least three different celebrations of Law throughout the month, in addition to their free lecture series. Occasionally, there have been gaming contests sponsored by faction. Granted, these don't get much more exciting than Theoretical Derivations for Speed or Tag-Team Computation, but some bubbers'll endure anything for a party. In the sphere of religion, a few powers observe holy days during Regula; these include the various gods of Law, Order, and some of the more restrictive powers of Knowledge. Category:Calendar